The effect of social learning on avoidance of aposematic prey in juvenile great tits (Parus major)

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11310%2F17%3A10363534" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11310/17:10363534 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10071-017-1106-6" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10071-017-1106-6</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10071-017-1106-6" target="_blank" >10.1007/s10071-017-1106-6</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

The effect of social learning on avoidance of aposematic prey in juvenile great tits (Parus major)

Original language description

Social learning plays an important role in acquiring new foraging skills and food preferences in many bird species but its potential role in learning to avoid aposematic prey has never been studied. We tested the effect of social learning on the acquisition of avoidance of aposematic insect prey (firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus; Heteroptera) in juvenile, hand-reared great tits (Parus major). Behaviour towards aposematic prey was compared between two groups of birds: (1) the observers that were, prior to encounter with firebugs, allowed to watch the experienced conspecific demonstrator repeatedly refuse to attack the prey, and (2) the control birds that lacked this opportunity. Observing an experienced demonstrator was not sufficient for learning complete avoidance, because birds from both groups attacked at least the first firebug they had encountered in avoidance training. However, the opportunity to observe the avoidance behaviour of another bird significantly increased the rate of subsequent individual learning of observers in comparison with control birds. Social learning also decreased mortality of firebugs killed by the birds during the avoidance learning. Socially enhanced learning to avoid aposematic prey might be a mechanism important especially for naive juvenile birds learning from their parents, but it could also enhance learning in adults from their more experienced flock mates. Because social learning of avoidance may also lead to decreased mortality of aposematic prey, its effect should be taken into account in scenarios considering evolution and maintenance of prey warning signals.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10613 - Zoology

Project

<a href="/en/project/GAP505%2F11%2F1459" target="_blank" >GAP505/11/1459: Factors responsible for variation in behaviour of predators towards aposematic prey</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2017

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Animal Cognition

ISSN

1435-9448

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

20

Issue of the periodical within the volume

5

Country of publishing house

DE - GERMANY

Number of pages

12

Pages from-to

855-866

UT code for WoS article

000407817700006

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85021138124